; o TOe parmoup of Me Ztbtne2ttttbutc Chap Y 9. Corruption, that 'tis almoft as difficult to revive the dying Faith of Chriftians, and to reform their Lives according to the purity of their Profeffion, as the Con- verfionoftheWorld was fromHeathenifm toChriflianity.. 'Tis true, In every Age there are ionic Examples of the Vertue of the Gofpel that reflet an honour upon it. And this laft Age, which we may call the Winter of the World, in which theHoly Spirit hath foretold That the love ofmany fhall,row cold, by a marvelous Antipe- rflafis hack inflam'd thehearts of fame excellent Saints towards God and Religion, But the great number of thewicked, and the progrefs ofSin in their Lives, there is no meafure of Tears fufficient to lament. Fourthly,I fhall preis Chriflians to walk as becomes the Gofpel of thrift, anfwerably to the Holinefs and Purity of that Divine Inflitution, and to thofegreat and itric`t Obligations it lays upon us. The Gof- pel requires anentire Holinefs in all our Faculties, an equ4:l refpe t to all our Duties : We are commanded, To cleanfe ourfelvesfrom allpollutionsof flefh andfpirit,to be holy in all manner ofconverfation. We are enjoyned, Tobeperfecting Holinefs in thefear of God. To be-holy as .Ile that hath called its is holy. A certain meafureof Faith, and Love, and Obedience, a mediocrity in Ver- tue, we muff not content our felves with. ' Tis not a Counfel of perfeó}ion given only to fome Chriflians of a peculiar order and elevation but the Commandof a Law that without exception binds all, Beperfell 44 your Heavenly Father is perfecI.The Gofpel gives no Difpenfation to any perfon, nor in any Duty. The DoEtrine that afferts there are fomeexcellent works to which the lower fort of Chriflians is not obliged, is e- qually pernicious., both to thofe who do them by Pre- fumption, as if they were not due and were therefore meritorious ; and to thofe who negleó them, bya blind Security,
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